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Kiva and Women for Women International

Hello Again,

I may be over-posting today (it's day one!) but I think the more I delve in, the less time I'll have for anxiety and shyness to kick in. Maybe we could all share on this thread organizations we like, places we donate to, groups we may be starting etc. to inspire other people. There may be groups out there that some of us heard of and others have not, and if we post our "good' ideas maybe they will give others ideas of things they can do in their own communities. We are all so spread out that we can spread out the good!

I currently work in addictions, so one goal of a co-worker and I is to host an outdoors oriented group for recovering addicts. A place where they can join together and do healthy, nature oriented activities without having to talk about their addictions. Just a safe place to "be!" Does anyone have anything like that in their communities we could reference? I know there is one Boulder, CO area but the more references we have the better.

Two non-profits I really like are Kiva (http://www.kiva.org) and Women for Women International (http://www.womenforwomen.org). The first is a micro loan group that you deposit $25 increments into. The people on the site live in poverty looking to improve their lives- you choose who you support, they pay you back, and then you can reloan the same $25 to another person (or take it back in cash form.) It's like a karma bank account Women for Women is a site where a woman can sponsor another woman who survived a war and is rebuilding their life. It comes with an awesome pen-pal option. I have yet to sign up for it but plan to!

What charities and causes speak to you?? Let's make this thread a resource!

I have used Kiva in the past and actually, the last company that I worked for we would get together and contribute to a cause at Christmas time instead of buying gifts for each other ... wonderful idea.

Gassho
Michael

RINDO SHINGEN
倫道 真現

As a trainee priest, please take any commentary by me on matters of the Dharma with a pinch of salt.